Picture screen mounting bracket



June 14, 1966 F. ALBEE, JR 3,255,988

PICTURE SCREEN MOUNTING BRACKET Filed Dec. 9, 1964 I G. 7 m 1' 'EN TOR.

PERCY FREDERICK ALBEE,JR

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,255,988 PICTURE SCREEN MOUNTING BRACKETPercy Frederick Albee, Jr., Barrington, R.I., assignor to Q-PanelCorporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Dec. 9, 1964, Ser. No.417,180 6 Claims. (Cl. 248--251) This invention relates to a picturescreen and a wall mounting therefor and is a continuation-impart of myapplication, Serial No. 251,782, filed on January 16, 1963.

Picture screens that are used for small groups and which generallycomprises a fabric wound on a roller that is either attached directly toa wall or a stand are only adaptable for distant projection. When shortfocal lengths are used as'in many visual-aid projection devices, it isvirtually impossible to orient a screen of the above described typeperpendicular to the line of projection to minimize image distortion andkeep the screen at a vertical height where it can be viewed by all.

It is accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide amounting for a screen which may have its plane adjusted perpendicular tothe line of projection.

Another object of this invention is to provide a screen which may bewall mounted in a bracket in such a manner that the screen may bedetached from the bracket and stored in a closet or some such placewhile only the bracket remains on the wall.

Another object of the invention is to provide a screen which, whendetached from its bracket, may be so collapsed and rolled that it willbe in a compact form for easy storage. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a screen which may berolled into a compact form but which may be unrolled and quicklyassembled into a taut form for the reception of a picture projectedthereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which willbe extremely simple and inexpensive and yet one which will be effectivein use.

A still further object of the invention is to impart to a plastic screena stretching force so that it will remain taut and in a flat plane andyet limit the stretch which may occur.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation illustrating a motion picture projector andthe screen of this invention mounted upon a wall, the same being shownsomewhat diagrammatic;

FIG. 1A is a rear elevational view of the screen of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View with parts broken away illustrating on alarger scale the rigid bars at the upper and lower edge of the screenand portions of the tensioning rod mounted therein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the rigid bar which is at theopposite upper and lower edges of the screen;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of one of the rods utilized in tensioning thefabric or flexible screen before arched;

FIG. 5 is an elevation illustrating one of the rods in arched positionready for mounting in the bars at the opposite edges of the screen;

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the bracket which is secured to the wall;

FIG. 7 is an elevation of the bracket looking at the opposite side fromthat shown in FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are sectional views through the bracket of FIG. 6.

In proceeding with this invention, I have secured rigid bars at theopposite edges of a flexible screen of plastic fabric or the like, and Ihold this screen in tension by 3,255,988 Patented June 14, 1966 securingthe ends of bowed flexible rods to the bars so that as the ends of therods tend to spring apart they tension the flexible screen. I mountbrackets on the wall and then by means of these flexible rods mount thescreen in the brackets in such a manner that the rods may be easilyattached to or detached from the bracket. Thus only the bracket needremain in place on the wall, while the screen may be detached therefrom,disassembled and rolled into a snug bundle and stored in a closet or thelike.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the vertical wall of aroom upon which there is mounted a bracket 11 which supports a screendesignated generally 12 for the reception of a picture projected from aprojector 13 resting on table 14 which is supported on the floor 15 ofthe room.

The screen 12 comprises a plastic sheet 16 exhibiting a memorycharacteristic such as the vinyl family, for example polyvinylchloride,the surface of which is .embossed for screen effect or a fabric withrecovery characteristics suitably treated to present a suitable surfacefor receiving and reflecting the light rays of a picture. The oppositetop and bottom edges of this sheet are fastened to a bar or strip ofrigid material which in this case is designated generally 17 andcomprises a hollow metal tube with a front Wall 18 and a back wall 19connected by a wall 20 at one side, while the edges of the front andback walls 18 and 19 are brought together as at 21 and rolled in such amanner as to provide an open groove 22 for reception of the sheet of webmaterial of the screen 16 which is held wedged in this groove by abinding channel 23 (FIG. 2) forced into the groove to tightly bind theedge of the web material 16 in the opposite edge of the web material ofthe screen as will be seen in FIG. 2.

In the back wall 19 of this rigid tubular bar at locations spacedinwardly from the ends of the bar (that is, both ends of the bar), thereare openings 25 provided which openings receive rubber grommets so as toprevent the edge of the opening from abrading a rod placed therein.These openings provide a means for attaching a flexible rod designatedgenerally 28 and which is of usually a solid cylindrical constructionabout a quarter of an inch in diameter. This rod is slotted at its upperend as at 29 and also slotted at its lower end as at 30. A flexible wire31 is provided with a fixed loop 32 which is inserted in the slot 29 atthe upper end of the rod, and this-slot is closed by bringing the ends33 and 34 of the slot together so as to confine the loop of the wiretherein. The opposite end of the wire is provided with a loop 35 whichis received in the slot 30 at the lower end of the rod 28-. This wire,however, is of a much shorter length than the length of the rod as willbe indicated in FIG. 4, and the rod 28 is arched or bowed as shown inFIG. 5, and when in this arched condition, the loop 35 of the wire 31may then be positioned in the slot 30 at the end of the rod so as tohold the rod in this arched condition.

The arched bowed rods are assembled with the rigid bars 17 on the edgesof the screen 16 by inserting the ends of the rods in the openings 25 inthese-bars. The lower end of the rod 28 in its arched condition isinserted in the opening 25 in the lower bar along the edge of the screendesignated 17, it being noted that the bowed or arched rod has its endsfurther apart than the normal stretch of the screen material 16, andthen the upper end of this rod is given a further bow or curvaturebringing its end 37 closer to its lower end 36, and then is inserted inthe opening in the upper bar 17 on the upper edge of the screen. A notch38 is located in the rod 28 adjacent the bottom end thereof, and a bail39 which is anchored in the bar 17' in a rockable manner may be swunginto this notch to lock the rod in position. Then when the bowed or bentrod is released, it will stretch the screen 16 taut, leaving the wire 31slightly limp but still of such a length that when each side of theplastic screen stretches, a planal surface will be maintained. Further,this wire limits the stretch of the screen so that it will not stretchbeyond its elastic limit. Rods 28, 28' will accordingly be adjacent eachof the opposite side edges of the screen material 16 or near the ends ofeach of the bars 17 and 17" with wires 31 of identical length, and alsothere may be a bowed rod 28A in the middle, if desired. I A screen ofmaterial such' as alluded to above, When released, will contract and maybe rolled into a compact form for storage.

The mounting of the screen on the wall will be by means of two wallbrackets engaging the opposite outside bowed rods. Such a wall bracket11 comprises a plate 40 with a flange 41 bent at generally right anglesthereto. This flange 41 will be provided with top and bottom openingsand a middle opening for the reception of some fastening means such asscrews to mount this flange 41 in face to face relation with thevertical Wall upon which the screen is to be mounted, thus presentingthe plate 40 at right angles to the wall 10. Mounting lugs 42 and 43 arebent upwardly from the outer edge of the plate 40 at spaced locationsadjacent the ends of the plate 40 and extend at right angles to theplane of the plate 40 but in a relation not parallel to the flange 41 asmay be well 'seen in FIG. 6. These lugs will be so angled that they willpresent the maximum contacting surface with the rod 28 in its bowedcondition and are intended to engage one side of the rod, specificallythe convex side of the bowed rod, as may be well seen in FIG. 1.Intermediate the two lugs 42 and 43 there is a lug 44 located midway ofthe length of the brackets, which lug 44 is arched inwardly so as topartially embrace the circular rod asmay be seen in FIG. 9. Further,this lug is formed on the end of a plate 45 which engages a substantialportion of the outer surface of the bracket and is slidably mounted bymeans. of bent up guides 46 and 47 .formed by deflecting the stock ofthe bracket adjacent a notch 48- therein into which the lug 44 slides soas to engage the edges of the plate 45 and guide in its movement towardand from the flange 41. A stop 49 is raised from the stock of thebracket so as to limit the inward sliding movement of this plate andlug. The plate 45 has an abutment 50 raised thereon which engages aspring Wire 51 which wire is arched and held at its ends in struck-upportions 52 from the bracket thus this spring wire 51 tends to move thelug 44 toward the flange 41 and as this is intended to engage theopposite or concave side of the rod 28 it urges the rod against the lugs42 and 43 thus applying a sufficient friction upon the rod so as to holdit in an adjusted position.

As may be seen in FIG. 1, the rod 28 may be moved from the full lineposition to the dotted line position by sliding the rod endwise throughthe lugs of the bracket which hold it and in order to provide for moresmooth sliding action, pads of some plastic material such as nylon maybe positioned on the face of the bracket plate 40 as at .55, 56, 57 and58. While pads of nylonmay also be ,held on the engaging surfaces of thelugs, 'such as by rolling the edges 59 of the lugs over the plasticnylon pads 60 as seen in FIGS. 8 and 10 and also in FIG. 9 where the end63 is rolled over the pad 65.

By making the bracket as above shown, some resilient action is providedon the mounting lug 44 so that as the arcuate extent changes, which itdoes slightly, the bracket may adjust to the different curvature of therod 28 in its bowed condition. Thus, it will be apparent that the rod isa little straighter at the ends than it is at the center and this isaccommodated by the bracket having the slidable lug 44 as abovedescribed. Further, the resilient action is found to minimize hardeningof the rod 28 due to sliding action along the rod and this is alsoassisted by the nylon pads which engage the rod.

I claim:

1. A wall bracket and a picture screen having an arched supporting rod,said bracket comprising a plate, mounting means therefor, spaced lugsprojecting from the plate at generally right angles thereto for engagingone side of said rod and a resiliently urged movable lug engaging theother side of the rod to frictionally hold it in position,saidengagement of said lugs being of a force such that said rod may beslid lengthwise of itself to adjust its position angularly with respectto the horizontal.

2. A wall bracket for a picture screen having an arched supporting rodcomprising a plate having a right angular flange with a face to engage avertical wall surface and position the plate at right angles thereto,spaced lugs fixed to and projecting from the plate at generally rightangles thereto for engaging one side of said rod and a lug intermediatesaid spaced lugs engaging the opposite side of said rod to hold it inposition, said intermediate lug being slidably mounted on said plate andresilient means urging the last said lug into engagement with said rod.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein the bracket is metal and therod engaging surfaces are non-metallic.

4. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein the bracket is metal and therod engaging surfaces are nylon.

5. A picture screen and mounting therefor comprising a screen having anarched supporting rod in generally a vertical plane, a bracket havingmounting means and means to frictionally receive and bodily mount saidrod in a generally vertical plane, said friction means so gripping saidrod as to permit sliding therethrough by manual endwise force thereon soas to selectively dispose and hold said screen at various angles tothevertical for projection of a picture thereon in a direction inclinedto a horizontal.

6. A picture screen and mounting therefor comprising a screen having apair of arched supporting rods in gen erally a vertical plane, bracketshaving mounting means and means to frictionally receive and bodily mountsaid rods in generally vertical planes, said friction means so grippingsaid rods as to permit sliding through said means by manual endwiseforce thereon so as to selectively dispose and hold said screen atvarious angles to the vertical for projection of a picture thereon in adirection inclined to a horizontal.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY,Primary Examiner. HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner. P. C. KANNAN, J. F.FOSS, Assistant Examiners.

1. A WALL BRACKET AND A PICTURE SCREEN HAVING AN ARCHED SUPPORTING ROD,SAID BRACKET COMPRISING A PLATE, MOUNTING MEANS THEREOF, SPACED LUGSPROJECTING FROM THE PALTE AT GENERALLY RIGHT ANGLES THERETO FOR ENGAGINGONE SIDE OF SAID ROD AND A RESILIENTLY URGED MOVABLE LUG ENGAGING THEOTHER SIDE OF THE ROD TO FRICTIONALLY HOLD IT IN POSITION, SAIDENGAGEMENT OF SAID LUGS BEING OF A FORCE SUCH THAT SAID ROD MAY BE SLIDLENGTHWISE OF ITSELF TO ADJUST ITS POSITION ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TOTHE HORIZONTAL.